Improved machine for peeling almonds



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UNITED STATES,v PATENT OEEIoE.

HENRY WATHEW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THOS.

AND GEORGE M. MILLS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED MACHINE FOR PEELING'ALMONDS.

Speciiicationforming part ofLctters Patent N0. 59,324, dated October 30, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

`Be it known that I, HENRY WATEEW, of the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Machine for Peeling Almonds 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a t'ull and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the ti gures and letters of reference marked thereon.

The method heretofore commonly practiced for removing the thin peels from almonds consists in first scaldiug them, and then stripping the peel from the almond by friction between the thumb and iingers. Where large quantities of almonds are used and have to be peeled this process is necessarily a ver y slow one, each almond requiring to be passed singly through the fingers; and therefore the object ot my invention consists in providing` for the use of confectioners, bakers, in hotelfkitchens, Svc., an expeditious means of performing that operation.

'lhe nature ot' my invention consists in subjecting the almonds tothe action of two elastic bands of il'idia-rubber, running side by side in the same direction, but at unequal velocities. Each ot' these bands runs upon a pair ot' rolls, in the manner of an ordinary machinebelt, and the two sets ot' rolls are so placed relative to each other that a sufficient space is provided between the bands at the top to admit the almonds between" them as they fall from a hopper placed above. The lower pair of rolls, however, are so spaced that the almondis caughtrmlyby thebandsimmediately above these rolls and during its downward passage between them. At the same time the peel is torn asunder and removed from the almo by the differential velocities of the two descending bands, causing a frictional ovement identical to that ot' the fingers in performing this work by hand. The almonds, when dropping from between the lower rolls, may be finally separated from the peels by allowing them to fall into a vessel containing water, upon which the peels will float, While the almonds sink to the bottom; or a very light elastic spring-board may be so provided that the almonds will rebound from it in a sideward direction to a suitably-placed receptacle, while the peels will merely slide off, and so become separated from the almonds.

A A are the elastic rubber bands, each runu ning upon a pair ot' rolls, (marked B O and D E,) the lower set of which, B and D, have Xe'd bearings in they two frames F F, and are geared together by spur-wheels H and I, whose respective diameters are as two to one. The pitch-lines of these wheels are shown in red dotted circles at Fig. l.

The whole is set in motion by means of a crank, Gr, attached to the shaft b ot' B, outside ot' the pinion I. In order to produce the requisite tension upon the bands A A, and to proi vide for taking up any slack from Wearing, the adjustable double bearings J J are provided outside of the two frames F F by means ot' setscrews K K. These blocks J Joan be drawn upward, as clearly shown in the drawings, the whole being so arranged that the strain of one band will counterbalance the other, so that both must always have the same tension.

L is the hopper, from which the almonds are fed to the space between the bands, there to be acted upon, as clearly set forth above.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, I wish to be understood as not desiring to limit myself to the described arrangement of the various parts in every minutia, as the same may be modied or equivalents substituted without impairing my invention; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The two elastic endless aprons A A, with their respective rollers and mountings, when constructed substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

HENRY WATHEW.

Witnesses THEoDoRE BERGNER, DAVID JILLARD. 

